A Beauty and A Beast
by punkrokprincess144
Summary: Katara is distinctively different, bookish and wistful. Zuko is an outsider, tough and somber. She is kind, he is melancholic; but will a tale as old as time help bring these two opposites together at Ba Sing Se Academy? AU Zutara! Please R&R! Not the typical Beauty and the Beast fic.
1. Introduction

Zuko still had dreams about his life before the burn. He remembered his mother's perfume; the way she always smelt like freshwater and lavender under the familiar tint of cigarette smoke. Always the same sort of dream, his mother, father, Azula, and himself together, playing, laughing, having fun, being a family. The very word itself, venerated from biblical scriptures and historical writings, brought the sharp taste of bile rising in his throat. His most recent dream took place at Ember Island Beach at their family's vacation home; a pleasant picnic on the beach. His mother fed the seagulls with him. His father played catch and called him Champ.

Zuko still had nightmares about the day it all went wrong. Thirteen years old, screaming for his mom down empty hallways. Azula laughed shrilly. "_Zuzu, you're pathetic! Mom's __**gone**__. Gone for good." _

But what Zuko hated the most was the fact that the nightmares didn't just stay hypothetical. No, his nightmare was plastered across the left side of his face. A twist of fiery red and rusty pink pulled on his face like a knot of tree roots diving into the ground. His eye, pinched thin.

For it was his pride that made him bitter. His pride that made him call his grieving albeit strict father the 'biggest fucking coward on planet fucking earth'. His pride that allowed his father to slap a white hot poker against his left eye.

Four years later, it was his pride that deemed him the bad boy at Ba Sing Se Academy. Girls flocked to him but simultaneously feared him. People were wary. Zuko felt as if he was doomed to a life of high-school solitude. For who could ever love someone like him; who could ever love a beast.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

"Katara! Get your ass out of bed!" Sokka yelled from the kitchen of their rickety house. Two stories up, the seventeen year old girl stirred from within the confines of her queen bed. As if on cue, Katara's iPhone alarm went off, and Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles started blaring in her ear.

"Ugh," she groaned. Katara slept atop several layers of soft, white comforters and light blue pillows, so emerging from the nest of warmth and comfort she'd crafted into the colder air was a miserable experience. She sat criss-cross on her bed and stretched, allowing her back to pop and crack. In their little San Francisco house, Katara had, as the youngest, been demoted the attic bedroom (a constantly cold room that seemed to be permanent home to a draft). The house was all dark panelling with large windows along the far and side wall. Katara could see blue sky outside and smiled. She'd missed these kind of days. At the Northern Tribe treatment center, her doctors had always woken her at four-thirty AM, so she was accustomed to dark skies, not sunshine.

Katara sighed, swinging her legs off of her bed and allowed her feet to sink into the seafoam, shag carpet. Her desk was pushed to the far wall of her room, her wardrobe, the right. Twinkling fairy lights were strung all over the edges of the room, and light blue, sunset pink, and white paper lanterns hung from the ceiling.

"First day," Katara murmured to herself while she dug around through her clothes. Finally, she picked an outfit of a loose, off the shoulder, sky blue top and white high waisted shorts. Her hair was still wet from the shower the night before, so she pulled it out of her top knot, letting it fall loosely around her shoulders and down her back. After dashing on a touch of mascara and eyeshadow, Katara grabbed her light brown leather messenger bag and jogged down the creaky staircase to the kitchen.

"About time," Sokka pouted while he whizzed around the kitchen. Katara smirked and sat down on one of the stools, leaning against the counter. Sokka was going to be a senior at Ba Sing Se Academy. He was also, in Katara's opinion, an absolute control freak.

"Nervous, upperclassman?" He smirked at his little sister. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Hardly," she laughed. Sokka slid a plate of eggs over to her, having just finished frying them in the skillet. She took a bite and winced.

"What?" Sokka hissed. Katara shrugged apologetically.

"Burnt," she giggled. Sokka's shoulders dropped. "Sorry, Sokka, but you should stick to planning grocery lists and letting me do the cooking."

"That's what I get for trying to be responsible!" Sokka huffed. He ripped off the apron he'd adorned and threw it on the ground before sliding in the seat next to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?" Katara asked suspiciously. Sokko gave her a vulnerable look.

"You know what I mean."

Katara sighed, looking down at her mother's necklace. A shiny, curved piece of iridescent shell dangled on it. In front of the shell was a perfect, teardrop shaped piece of ocean blue seaglass.

"I miss her too," Sokka started, but Katara shook her head.

"Don't, Sokka."

"There's nothing wrong with having to get professional help, you know," Sokka changed tactics, taking Katara's bowl of eggs for himself.

"A mental hospital," Katara corrected him, "People already think I'm a freak and now this? It's going to be absolute hell."

"Well, if anyone says anything, I'll beat them up for you," Sokka grinned at her and menacingly (to him, at least) tapped his right fist into his open left hand. Katara's serious expression broke into a wide grin.

"I'll be sure to keep you posted," Katara laughed. Sokka smiled and took a bite of the eggs he'd made.

"These taste like shit."

"I know," Katara giggled. Her eyes found the kitchen clock. "We need to get going or we're going to be late. And I'm not going to let you be tardy _again _for your first day of school."

"You go ahead, I've gotta finished my summer reading," Sokka sighed. Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's avid procrastination and stood up, scrawled a note to their Grandmother letting her know that they were out of eggs, and bid farewell to Sokka.

The Ba Sing Se Academy was a medium sized high school in a suburban area of San Francisco. She exited her house and walked through the streets, past her favourite park, and towards the school. Ba Sing Se Academy was large and made of creamy stone that resembled the Spanish Missions all across California. It was situated on emerald green grass. Katara walked up the walkway towards the school. She walked through the awning to the inside of the building. The school was two stories in the front and one that wrapped around a large courtyard which housed all the lockers around the walls and tables in the quad. The most distinguishing feature in the quad, however, was the large oak tree on the right side, with low, fanning branches. Katara stared at her tree whimsically. She had a habit of climbing up to where three of the branches met, creating a perfect reading nook.

"Move, fresh meet!"

Someone slammed into her on their rush to their locker and Katara stumbled, barely catching herself. Turning ferociously, she screamed. "I'm a junior!"

It was the same as last year. Hundreds of students flocked around the walkways, shaded by the awnings, while a few milled out by the tables and benches in the Quad. Korra meandered across the Quad towards the far side of the quad where her locker was. She pulled a book out of her bag as she went - Grimm's Fairy Tales- and began flicking through it to find her page. A calm settled over her, the type of feeling that came to her only when she read.

"_I heard she was shipped of to some nut house…" _

"_God, what a freak!" _

The voices passed behind her, and Katara saw two of the popular girls from her grade walking behind her. Her heart sunk. Not the best way to start off school. She sighed and kept walking, her head bent slightly forward while she pretended to be focused on Grimm's Fairy Tales. She reached her locker and hurriedly entered her combo. The dark blue metal swung open, revealing an empty locker. Katara unloaded her sparse collection of textbooks into the bottom shelf - Creative Writing Studio, AP Statistics, AP US History, AP Language and Writing, AP Literature, Unassigned, and, her biggest fear, AP Physics. Katara looked bitterly at the book before slamming the locker shut with more force than necessary.

"Did that locker personally offend you, Sugar Queen?"

Katara turned around on the spot, beaming madly at the face of one of her best friends. Toph Fong was short but built with lean muscle. Her choppy black hair was tied back in its usual bun with her bangs loose around her light, pale eyes, which sparkled happily behind black-framed glasses. Toph had been born premature before her occipital lobe had been fully developed, so her glasses were a constant accessory, allowing her to function with limited eyesight. However, her blindness was the only weakness about her. The star member of the girl's volleyball team and a black belt, Toph was incredibly strong, as proven when the shorter girl threw herself at Katara, tackling her in a hug.

"I missed you, Toph," Katara sighed sadly.

"You could have come home a little sooner!" Toph jokingly chided her.

"I would have if they'd let me out earlier," Katara sighed.

"Summer sucked without you," Toph groaned as the two drifted back towards the quad. Circular wooden tables were set up on the far right side of the quad, and the two took a seat at their usual table, partially shaded under the leaves of Katara's tree.

"Didn't you go on that trip with your parents to Scotland?" Katara asked. The Fong family possessed more wealth than could even be imaginable by Katara, who came from a quaint household living on army pension.

"A vacation with my parents is the equivalent of a slightly more scenic prison," Toph, snorted, putting her bare feet up on the bench of the table. Katara giggled.

"I'm guessing your parents are still overprotective?"

"You think?"

"Katara!"

Before Katara could even look for the source of the beyond-eager voice, a pair of arms wrapped around her. Katara winced at the force of the hug.

"Hi, Aang," she grinned at her other best friend. Aang Rakuu beamed, the ever exuberant eagerness of a child still present after her three month long hiatus. Behind him stood Sokka and Sokka's girlfriend, Suki Koshi. Suki grinned sweetly at Katara. The two fast friends had reunited the night before, Suki having accompanied Sokka to pick Katara up from the airport.

"How are you feeling?" Aang asked tenderly, sitting next to her after gently removing Toph's feet from the bench. Katara sighed. She knew this was coming. Aang had always been protective of her since they'd first met at the beginning of high school, instantly hating any boy who showed interest in. Naturally, after this summer, he would be treating her like a fragile sculpture for weeks.

"I'm fine, Aang," she reassured him tenderly. Then, an afterthought, "I'm pretty tired though."

"I second that," Toph groaned. "I was up last night finishing summer reading."

"God, Frankenstein was so boring!" Aang groaned. Katara perked up.

"I loved it!" She mumbled softly. Sokka rolled his eyes and Toph laughed.

"Classic Sugarqueen," Toph shook her head. "Always the bookworm."

"Oh, shove it," Katara flicked her in the head just as the bell rang. The group of friends rose. "Homeroom first?" Katara asked, immediately anxious again. Homerooms were sorted alphabetically and by grade. With Taki as her last name, she was often alone in her homeroom. Grabbing her backpack, her only hope was that one of her other friends would be placed with her.

"See ya!" Sokka and Suki left, the seniors of the group. Toph and Aang departed to the other side of the school, where their homerooms were. Katara panicked momentarily, before she remembered seeing on her schedule that her classroom was on the third floor in room 616. She departed, head bowed as she walked up the staircase and into the brightly-lit room, taking a seat in the back corner.

Katara was scared. The words of the two popular girls back in the quad came back to her. Would people really think that she was crazy? Just because of what happened to her mother, Katara was insane? She sighed and pulled out her book again. She was so involved in the story that she didn't notice the presence next to her.

"Oh," Katara gasped when someone snatched a book out of her hand. She looked next to her to see Jet Stark. Jet was bad news with bad habits and even worse company, but Katara couldn't deny the appeal. With shaggy brown hair, weathered, tan skin, and a cigarette on his lips, girls swooned at his dangerous persona.

"Well, look who's back?" Jet smirked almost boredly, " You were MIA, this summer. I wanted to hang out, but you let me down, Taki."

Katara rolled her eyes, grinning, "Yeah, I was away all summer." She avoided telling him exactly where she _had _been, and was relieved that Jet hadn't heard about her summer. "Can I have my book back?" She asked with a smirk. Jet looked back at the book, dangling it upside down with the corner pinched between index and thumb.

"I don't get why you actually _like _reading these things?" Jet mused aloud. "No pictures!"

"You don't need pictures," Katara giggled, swiping the book out of his hand.

"You sure are a weird one, Taki," Jet drawled again. Katara couldn't help but feel a flutter deep in her stomach.

"Are you really wasting your time with this nut job?"

That voice. That demonic, vile, brutal voice. Katara bitterly looked up, subtly peering through her curtain of hair that fell across her shoulder, acting as a curtain. Her heart lept. Standing over Jet's shoulder was Azula Tanner and her posse, Ty Lee Trish and Mai Tosh. Ever since elementary school, the three had wreaked havoc on Katara and her friends.

_Avoid, avoid, avoid. _

Just as her nerves got the best of her, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of homeroom. Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai all busted into mad giggling. Azula sat in the seat next to Jet and looks over, leaning flirtatiously and showing off the low cut of her red tanktop.

"Hey, Azula," Jet welcomed the attention, Katara noted uncomfortably. She turned back to her book, trying to ignore the slight feeling of bitter jealousy from seeing Jet flirt with such a witch.

"So what'd you do this summer?" Azula asked.

"The usual," Jet sighed, sounding surprisingly uninterested, "Party, sleep, wake up, repeat."

"Wow," Azula poured on the charm, "That's so cool."

"What about you?" Jet returned the question.

"I spent most of my time in LA," Azula bragged, "Hanging out at Dad's vacation home and preparing for musical auditions."

Katara tried viciously to focus on her book, but the whine in Azula's voice kept dragging her back into their conversation. And, as much as Katara hated being an eavesdropper, she was intrigued by Azula's latest revelation.

"The musical, huh?" Jet probed with a devastatingly attractive smirk.

"Of course; It's no wonder I'll get the lead!"

Katara scoffed and Azula's sharp eyes whipped over to her.

"Have something to say, Book-Slut?" Azula hissed. Katara winced inwardly but maintained her stoic expression otherwise. Azula smirked evilly, "I didn't think so."

"What's the musical, Azula?" Ty Lee piped into the conversation. Azula looked annoyed at the interruption but answered nonetheless.

"Beauty and the Beast," She grinned. Katara looked up at the sound of her favourite fairytale but quickly looked away to avoid drawing attention to herself. "You should audition," Azula told Jet. Jet shrugged and lit up his cigarette, "I'll consider it."

"Jet, put it out _now_!" Mr. Pakku, the strict but wise math and philosophy teacher, snapped at Jet. Just as he said it, another figure entered the classroom, "Ah, Mr. Tanner, thank you for taking time out of your day to grace us with your presence."

A light spattering of laughter kissed the room, but was silenced immediately. Katara looked up and saw Zuko Tanner glaring out over the students.

"Oh he is so hot," Ty Lee nearly whimpered to Mai. Azula groaned in disgust and, for once, Katara did not automatically disagree with her. Zuko had been known for being bad news, bullying Aang all through his childhood and once physically attacking Sokka. She sighed and turned back to her book.

"Katara!"

The urgent snap of her name caused her to look up. Jet rolled his eyes, "Jesus, get your nose out of the book. I've been saying your name for the past minute."

"Sorry," Katara apologized, a knot in her stomach from being forced away from her books. Jet passed a blue folder to her. Katara opened it to see her schedule, along with a paper with her information, medical needs, and student log in. Katara eagerly studied her course load.

Ba Sing Se Academy worked on a block schedule, meaning that they had four hour and a half long classes each day, with the classes alternating every other day depending on the colour of the day. Being the Ba Sing Se Fighting Swordfish, each student had for "Blue Day" classes, and four "Green Day" classes. Her Blue Classes were Creative Writing, AP Statistics, Unassigned Block, and finally AP US History, and her Green Day was AP Physics, AP Literature, AP Language and Writing, and finally Free Period.

Immediately, the room was in a frenzy, everyone comparing schedules. As if on cue, Katara's phone buzzed violently. She picked it up and saw a group message with Toph, Aang, their friend Haru, Sokka, and Suki. Each had sent a picture of their schedule and instantly Katara followed suit, a smile on her face as a wave of fondness for her friends surged forth. Not a second later, Toph texted her:

_**Yay! We have Stat, Physics, APUSH and Lit together! :) **_

Katara grinned and texted her back:

_**Awesome! :) Physics is going to be awful tho… **_

Toph instantly responded:

_**For real...ugh. **_

After a bit more communication, Katara found that she had Stat with Suki and Sokka as well as Toph, Unassigned at the same time as Suki, Physics with Aang, and both APUSH and APLang with Aang and Haru. That left her without her closest friends in Creative Writing and her Free Period. Not surprising, seeing as she was the only one of her friends that truly liked writing and reading.

"Jeez, Taki, you taking enough APs?" Jet rolled his eyes. Katara flushed.

"What did you expect, Jet," Azula sneered. Katara blushed even more when Azula snatched her schedule away. After a moment she shoved it back to Katara.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow for free period," Azula snapped as the bell overhead rang. Katara jumped and looked back at her schedule.

Creative writing was on the top floor in one of the studio rooms. The studio rooms were usually for art or dance classes, but the huge windows and amazing view of the beach off in the horizon created a perfect place for inspiration.

"Good morning, Miss Katara," Professor Iroh greeted her amicably. Katara grinned joyfully, all nervousness abandoned at the door. "I'm glad you took up my invitation to join the class."

"How could I not after that amazing Loose Leaf tea you gave our family after last year," Katara sighed, both happy and grieving. Iroh gave her a sympathetic gaze as a few more students came in. Katara quickly took a seat at the front right table, closest to the windows. Each wooden table could seat three students, so Katara opted for the for right chair. She was just pulling out her Moleskin notebook when she was interrupted.

"Hi!" a chipper voice rang from behind her. Katara turned and saw a boy in a wheelchair. Katara stammered a greeting, "H-Hey!" She stretched her hand out and the shook the boys.

"Hi Katara," He greeted her, "I'm Teo."

"How do you know my name?" Katara inquired, almost caught off guard. Teo chuckled good naturedly.

"I saw you at Northern Tribe," he responded. Katara froze, her heart dropping down to the pit of her stomach as a world of excuses bounced around her mind. Teo must have noticed her hesitancy for he immediately corrected himself, "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone! I don't even know who you were visiting!"

_Oh, _Katara realised, _he thinks I was just there to see someone else! _

"Thanks," Katara smiled warmly nonetheless. Then her expression turned to one of confusion. "Why were you-?"

"Physical Therapy," Teo answered the obvious question. He gestured inhibition free to his immobile legs.

"Oh," Katara answered awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry," Teo responded, "I was in a car accident when I was three. I was completely paralysed from the neck down so the fact that I can even move my arms is beyond amazing!"

"Wow," Katara smiled, "I'm so happy for you!"

_What a brave boy, _she thought admiringly.

"Anyway, this class should be fun!" Teo smiled exuberantly. Katara nodded happily as the bell overhead chimed; the minute warning. All of the other tables were full with three students, but Katara notices just the two at her table.

However, just as the final bell for first block was ringing, a silent blur of motion entered the room.

"Ah, Zuko," Professor Iroh greeted the blur, "I'm glad you decided to take my class."

Zuko Tanner shrugged silently, hitching his back more securely onto his shoulder. Katara studied him, wary and from a distance. Zuko had always made her nervous. Professor Iroh gestured to the empty chair at Katara and Teo's table.

"Oh no," she sighed. Teo gave her a knowing look.

"You have a bad run in with Zuko too?" He asked. Katara sighed and rubbed her temples.

"One way or another, I suppose so."

Zuko walked over and took his spot on Katara's right. Katara stared, open mouthed as Zuko stared out of the window. Katara tried her best not to stare at the grotesque disfigurement of his left eye.

"Welcome to Creative Writing."

Katara tore her eyes from the stoic boy. Professor Iroh smiled wisely over the students.

"I am very excited to see what you young men and women will have to offer Ba Sing Se. As some of you may know, I have published several novels and short stories. Although many of you most likely took this class simply to satisfy and fine arts or English credit," Professor Iroh scanned the students pointedly, "I do hope many of you will use these precious class periods to explore a potential future career in the literary arts."

Katara sighed and smiled happily. This was where she belonged.

"So to start off, I want each of you to write a quick I Am poem."

Katara immediately whipped out her notebook and her favourite ballpoint pen. For thirty minutes she was in Heaven.

I am: a legacy.

I am: a person who loves tea on cold mornings.

I am: a person who hates hot, muggy afternoons.

I am: running to the light of the moon.

I am: running from yesterday's setting sun.

I dream: of an ocean somewhere far away.

I hope: for something my father simply cannot understand.

I miss: her.

I am: her mirror image, her replica.

I am: Katara

_Not my best work, _Katara mused bitterly. However, the structured format of the I Am poem was particulararly restricting when her nerves were so bundled up. However, she pretended to listen politely as Iroh discussed the intricacies of diction in simple sentences. To avoid pouring over her own writing, Katara peered at Teo's work...except he'd covered his paper with his arms. Katara inwardly cursed her bad luck and warily peered to her right.

Zuko's handwriting contrasted greatly from Katara's loopy, flowing script; it was cramped and messy, much like Zuko himself, who sat, still staring out of the window.

I am: a beast.

I am a person who loves: that which destroys me

I am a person who hates: captivity.

I am: burning out.

I am: burning for something more.

I dream: of anywhere but here.

I hope: that it was all just a terrible dream.

I miss: her.

I am: the broken and forgotten son.

I am: Zuko.

Katara was so distracted by the words in front of her that she must have forgotten to be discreet. In a violent flash, Zuko had torn the paper away and whipped towards Katara. His messy hair fell away and his eyes were revealed; they were also shooting daggers at Katara.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Zuko hissed and for a moment Katara wonderd how such a quiet volume could send frightened shivers up her spine. When Zuko lurched towards her again, Katara opened her mouth.

"I-I was just-" She stuttered awkwardly over her words. Iroh was patiently trying to teach one of the jocks in the back of the room precisely how to open his binder clips, and was not aware that Katara was being attacked.

"I was just reading what you wrote," Katara answered calmly. There was no point in arguing; she was perfectly entitled to reading someone else's creative writing in the class of _creative writing! _

Clearly, she discovered, she was alone in this thought process. Zuko's eyes (a beautiful shade of amber, Katara noticed) narrowed to slits and a growl rumbled from his throat.

"Leave me _alone_!" Zuko nearly snarled. Then, he swept his body to the side and completely turned away from his shocked table-mates. Katara looked at Teo and the two shrugged nervously.

"Alright," Professor Iroh sighed with clearly amused frustration. "Take out some paper or a laptop; we're going to start out todays class with some notes."

Zuko's disgruntled sigh did not escape the ears of Katara. She huffed herself, deciding right then that she wanted nothing to do with any negativity, not after the year she'd had. And Zuko Tanner himself seemed to embody pure negativity.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please review and give me feedback so I know if this story is worth continuing =^.^=


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello! _

_This is Chapter 2...obviously. Hopefully you're still reading this because you like it and want to know what happens next! Therefore I will not distract you further 3 _

_P.S. I don't own AtLA. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction; I'd be writing scripts for new episodes! _

* * *

Zuko woke up to the blaring sound of harsh piano scales and the even more discordant screeching of Azula singing. Zuko groaned and rolled over, any hope of sleeping to the last possible minute extinguished on the spot. Glancing at his alarm clock, 7:00 AM flashed back at him. Another groan bubbled up from Zuko's throat as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and blearily sat up, rubbing his eyes in an effort to remove the sleep from his mind.

The California sun illuminated Zuko's sparsely decorated room. A small desk, the one he'd owned all through elementary and middle school, sat dusty and unused. His wardrobe too seemed bleak and lonely against the pale grey walls, and his bookshelf, while cramped with books, seemed tired and worn. The only lived in corner of his room had a simple bean bag chair, his fancy stereo (bought by his father to shut him up, no doubt), and his prized six-string. The only spots of colour in the room were his maroon comforter and the small framed picture on his nightstand. Zuko sighed, kissed his fingers, and pressed them against the glass where his mother's smiling face rested atop a younger Zuko's head.

_Get it together, Zuko, _he told himself firmly. After another moment of building up motivation, he stood and wandered to his wardrobe to throw on clothes. Finally, he walked over to his bathroom. He could hear the shower in Azula's bathroom across the hallway running, and above the rushing noise, he could hear her belting the chorus to some broadway song he couldn't quite name.

Zuko cupped cool water in his hands and splashed the water over his face and through his hair. The rough scar tissue felt inhuman under his calloused fingers. Zuko observed himself in the mirror. He was tall, there was no denying; standing at six-foot three with well defined muscles, messy black hair, a strong jawline, and bright fierce, dangerous amber eyes, a stranger might find him, for a moment, attractive. But the abomination, Zuko thought bitterly, on the left side of his face ruined the entire thing.

"Zuzu," Azula snapped tauntingly from the hall, "Come on, we're going to be late if you don't move your ass, and like hell you're going to make me late on audition day."

Zuko rolled his eyes but murmured a grudging, "Coming," before tearing out his house and hurrying to the one place he could forget about his family.

The thing about his scar was that it could part crowds. The second Zuko and Azula got out of his car, Azula nearly ran away to find Mai and Ty Lee. Zuko watched her go, watched as students either fled from her presence or flocked to her with admiration. He sighed and walked towards the entrance. Students parted at the sight of him.

The bell overhead rang and Zuko felt his feet carrying him past the math rooms and all the way to the Physics lab. He'd always been good at physics. When his father became an air marshall, he forced both Azula and Zuko to learn about the properties of flight and the ins and outs of aircrafts. In short, Zuko anticipated the class to be a breeze.

The room was filled with lab tables, each table seating two people. Zuko made a beeline for the lab table at the back right corner of the room. Currently, the room was completely empty, but nearly as soon as he sat down, other students began filing in. Zuko watched them impatiently; why could his class just start already?

He put on his earbuds and plugged them into his phone. His father was going to be home that weekend and Zuko was on edge; he happily used the music to escape. Zuko had a love for making playlists for different occasions; for working out, studying, driving alone with the windows down, and dozens more. He picked a mix with his favourite, calming bands: Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths, Los Campesinos, Matt and Kim, Passion Pit. Zuko closed his eyes and the opening chords of Furr by Blitzen Trapper immediately eased the anxiety he felt; when he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see the room almost entirely full.

Aang Raaku and Toph Bei Fong were seating at the table directly in front of them. When he glanced their way, the two turned more pointedly away. Zuko snorted in amusement. However, his amusement turned to annoyance and trepidation when Aang nearly leapt up from his seat with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, Katara!" He trilled. The same, nosy Taki girl was walking surely towards the back corner of the room, and with a mixture of horror and intrigue, Zuko realised that she was making a beeline for the empty chair next to his.

"Hey, guys!" She smiled angelically at her two friends, "Sorry I'm late, Sokka wanted to stop for Starbucks," She rolled her eyes and brandished her Venti Coffee for proof. Zuko watched curiously. Although she was standing right before him, she hadn't even bothered to look his way.

"Sorry we couldn't save you a seat," Toph apologized pointedly. Zuko shifted awkwardly and looked away, instantly uncomfortable.

"Yeah," Aang agreed, staring at the blue eyed girl who had yet to take a seat next to Zuko. Toph looked at the small boy next to her and Zuko saw the vulnerability in her eyes, the blush on her cheek, even when she snapped: "Like I wanna sit next to Twinkletoes here."

Zuko smirked. The Bei Fong girl was lying through her teeth.

Suddenly, the bell overhead rang and Master Roku entered the classroom.

"Take a seat!" He called across the room. Katara flustered, dropping in leather brown back pack next to the lab table and delicately sitting down. Zuko couldn't help stealing glances of Katara and, as annoying as she seemed with her eager goody-two-shoes nature, he had to admit that she was stunning. Her long, thick, coffee brown hair fell down past her shoulders, rippling in thick waves and curls before stopping just at the small of her back. Her skin was dark, richly tan, and smooth, and her figure was every boys dream. Katara leaned down to her backpack and Zuko caught an eyeful of cleavage.

"What are you staring at?" Katara hissed. Zuko jumped, and inwardly cursed himself for the blush he felt creeping up his cheek. Her face too was modelesque, with plump lips, high cheekbones, and large, fiery eyes that were the exact shade of the ocean. Zuko was reminded of the sea at Ember Island.

"Miss Taki," Master Roku snapped. Zuko smirked at the blush on Katara's pretty face as she faced the front.

"Yes sir?" She asked.

"I assume that you know what the coefficient of friction is, seeing as you are engaged in rapt conversation with Mr. Tanner," Master Roku challenged. Katara paled. Master Roku was known for being incredibly strict and, although it had only been the first fifteen minutes of class, he expected his students to have a preconceived knowledge of physics.

"Um…" Katara stalled. Zuko glanced at the complex problem written on the whiteboard and back at the stunned girl next to him.

"Point two six three," Zuko whispered to her. Katara glanced at him, bewildered, but hoarsely repeated the answer.

"Zero point two six three, sir," She stammered. Master Roku's eyes narrowed and flitted over to Zuko.

"Mr. Tanner, perhaps let Miss Taki succeed or _fail _on her own accord," he warned. Zuko's expression remained stoic, but he saw Katara's head drop with shame. "Now, how do we know the velocity given coefficient of friction?"

Zuko pulled out his notebook, not to take notes but to write absentmindedly. He would happily scrawl lyrics of his favourite songs (a usual pastime of his), but he couldn't focus this morning.

Zuko decided that Katara Taki had to be the most frustrating desk mate in the world. She laid out her books and notes all around her so that any sudden movement sent a domino effect of papers flurrying across the ground. She wrote with a panic, her pen scratching annoyingly against the paper and had a tendency to mutter what she was writing under her breath. As if that wasn't frustrating enough, her two stupid friends kept turning around to whisper with her and ask stupid question about weekend plans and video games. And she reeked; she reeked of lavender and peppermint and sea air and flowers. It was horrible sitting next to Katara, and his thoughts kept going back to her: Katara, Katara, Katara, _Katara- _

"What?" Katara asked Zuko. Zuko froze, shocked.

"What?" Zuko's eyes narrowed in an effort to maintain a rough exterior.

"You said my name," Katara responded, one eyebrow raised.

"I doubt it," Zuko lied with an nonchalant and haughty smirk. A sense of pride filled him when Katara's stormy blue eyes twitched with aggravation.

"Why's that?" She spat back.

"I don't even know your name," he lied once more, sending her a strong, penetrating gaze. His heart rate increased and his stomach swooped when Katara's eyes widened, and a heavy blush made its way across her cheeks. Her lips parted slightly in an endearing pout, and Zuko realised something: Katara Taki had never been looked at by a boy like this.

"Asshole!" Katara spat. Zuko jumped.

"What?"

"Ugh!" Katara swung around in her chair and paid attention to the board, clearly ignoring him. Zuko was absolutely floored; this was an absolute 180. And after he'd tried to help her!

Zuko sighed angrily and turned away from Katara also. He chastised himself for even associating with the likes of Katara. His father would have been ashamed. The rest of the class passed with agonizing sluggishness, and when the bell rang overhead, Zuko shot up immediately and hurried out of the room.

Or at least, he tried.

"What the hell is your problem?" Katara yelled. She had his upper arm in a viper grip and was nearly growling.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko rolled his eyes boredly.

"First you freak out at me in Creative Writing, then embarass me in front of the entire class, and to top it all off you're a total jerk to me!" Katara shrieked, glaring at Zuko from upon her tiptoes.

"Katara!" Aang interjected weakly. He and Toph were looking on, the latter with anxiety and the former with suspicion. Katara looked at the bald boy with motherly worry. "Why are you fighting?"

"It's nothing Aang," Katara assured him. Zuko looked at his antagonizer and took his opportunity to leave. Katara jumped.

"Hey, wait!" She called, but he was already gone. Zuko weaved through the crowd. People ducked out of his way, parting fluidly like schools of fish. His AP Literature Class was across the school, but the distance was not the reason for his speed. He could feel Katara's glare on the nape of his neck as he abandoned her. He couldn't possibly justify her anger with him for trying to help her. Zuko knew the Taki siblings; Sokka and he played soccer together throughout middle and high school. Reminiscing upon their relationship brought up a series of fist fights and altercations in Zuko's mind. But it was Katara he was running from.

_Running from, _Zuko cursed himself mentally, _running from a girl! _

He ducked into his next class, AP Literature, and sulked away to the back of the room again. Any hope for a promising day had been crushed by that strange and annoying Taki girl. He plugged his earbuds into his iPhone and cranked his music to drown out the ringing memory of her voice.

"Excuse me!"

His eyes popped open. The girl in question was glaring at him, her hands on her hips and her lower lip jutting out. Zuko raised an eyebrow at her and turned down his music, but refused to remove his headphones. Katara opened her mouth to say something but at that very moment the bell overhead rang and Professor Shi Tong swept into the room with commanding presence. His dark eyes studied the students fondly.

"Take out your copies of Frankenstein and circle up," He told the students. Zuko shrugged uncomfortably; of course he had read the Sparknotes of Frankenstein, but he hadn't actually taken the time to read such a stupid novel. Therefore, when he removed his book from its saran wrap casing, Shi Tong gave him a knowing look. The students all moved their desks into a circle. Zuko allowed his "peers" to move around him and simply ignored everything but his music.

"Would anyone like to share their opinions on Frankenstein?" Shi Tong asked, taking a seat at the front table that was integrated in the circle. The silence around the room was impenetrable. The Bei Fong girl (_Toph_, Zuko reminded himself) snickered and Katara shushed her friend before shyly raising her hand.

"Yes, Miss Taki," Shi Tong nodded to her. "What did you think of the novel?"

"I loved it," Katara gushed in her soft voice. Zuko scoffed and Katara glanced at him, offended, but nonetheless continued. "I thought that the characters clearly reflected Shelley's position in London patriarchal society. The battle of Victor's pride versus his love for his family was heartbreaking because, as one begins reader, one already knows that Victor will face his downfall."

The silence that followed was filled with awe. Only Toph looked unimpressed, clearly jaded to Katara's ramblings. Shi Tong looked ecstatic.

"Good," he nodded happily, "Very good. Everyone discuss with a partner the potential themes and motifs Shelley intended to express in Frankenstein while I go print off a worksheet."

Katara and Toph immediately started talking together, giggling in a way that assured Zuko they weren't discussing Frankenstein. Zuko snorted, and chuckled obviously. Katara stopped mid-sentence and looked at Zuko with venom in her eyes. Zuko paused his music, smirking at the satisfaction of getting a rise out of the pretty, blue-eyed girl.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Katara snapped, gripping her desk so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"No," Zuko drawled.

"Cuz you sure are acting like you do," Katara pryed. A swell of rage (inexplicable but intense) bubbled up in Zuko's chest and escaped in vicious words.

"Maybe if you weren't such a pretentious bitch you'd realise that not everything revolves around you."

A low gasp rustled around the room. Some people ooh-ed and some snickered, while other glared daggers at Zuko or Katara. Katara's eyes widened to the size of saucers but then narrowed with burning fury.

"Or perhaps you forgot that the world doesn't revolve around a peasant with no parents," Zuko delivered the final blow and watched it land right on target. Katara's eyes welled with angry tears and in an instant she was on her feat and charging towards Zuko.

"You absolute fucking _bastard _-"

"Miss Taki, Mr. Tanner!"

Katara froze at Shi Tong's stern voice terror encompassing her entire body. Zuko felt his stomach drop; if he got a detention, his father would have his head. Mr. Shi Tong pursed his lips together so tightly that his mouth formed one singular, dark line. He turned to the rest of the class and announced in a terrifyingly severe voice: "Remain here silently until I return." Then he turned to the two vigilante students, "Follow me to Mrs. June 's office immediately."

Shi Tong took the lead and Katara and Zuko followed in his wake. Zuko glued his eyes to the ground directly in front of him. God forbid his father hear a word about his getting in trouble. Zuko shuddered to imagine what his father would do to him. A small whimper from his left made him look at his reason for his current scenario. He felt a twinge of sympathy when he saw that Katara was trembling and tears had overflowed down her cheeks. She'd clearly never been in any sort of trouble. Zuko was good at being in trouble so long as his father wasn't involved. He'd managed to skirt through all of middle and high school, instilling fear into the hearts of his fellow students while evading significant trouble. However, Katara was a goody-good, terrified of the thought of disappointing anyone, which was proven by another small sob when they entered Mrs. June 's, the vice principal in charge of discipline, office.

"Good morning, June ," Shi Tong greeted the severe looking woman. June glanced up and rolled her eyes.

"Oh great," she drawled, "Zuko Tanner. I've heard way too much about you." She looked fleetingly at Katara, "You, I've never seen before."

"Katara Taki and Zuko Tanner got into an inappropriate argument when I left the room. I expect more from my advanced students. I expect they will be duly punished."

Katara swiped the tears from her face as Shi Tong left. June looked at her.

"Why are you crying?" She asked gruffly. Katara hiccupped meekly and Zuko felt a swell of empathy for the girl.

"I-I've never been in t-trouble before," Katara stuttered awkwardly. June snickered.

"Well Zuko can bring out the worst in anyone," she murmured with a smirk. "So, the typical measure for this is detention and a call to the parents-"

"No!" Katara and Zuko yelled simultaneously. They stared at each other shocked momentarily, before looking back at June to discover their fates. She looked both startled and amused.

"Well unless you can think of another option, that's the only thing I can do."

Katara opened her mouth, intending to argue her case, when the door behind them swung open.

"Hello, Madame Kyoshi," June nodded at the eccentric woman. Madame Kyoshi was the drama and musical director at Ba Sing Se. Tall and elegant, Madame Kyoshi exuded theatrical presence, aided by her draped, deep ruby red shawls and cat-eye sunglasses.

"Good morning, June ," she responded in her deep, powerful voice, "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Just two students arguing in class," June rolled her eyes. "Who are refusing a detention and call home to the parents."

"I could probably use them," Madame Kyoshi mused, eyeing the two teenagers, "I need sets painted before auditions for our winter musical."

June scrutinized Katara and Zuko before shrugging, "That works with me." She turned to her computer and scrolled through her web pages. "Okay, so you both have your last period free today. You are to report to the auditorium immediately."

Katara nodded, bowing her head in shame. Zuko scoffed at her ready submission.

"Unless you have a problem with that," June snapped, "In that case, I can call your father and-"

"It's _fine_," Zuko hissed through gritted teeth. Madame Kyoshi nodded curtly.

"And I want no attitude from either of you," she nodded at Zuko and Katara. Katara nodded eagerly, sniffling pitifully. Zuko merely glared at the woman. With a scowl in the scarred boy's direction, Madame Kyoshi swept out of the room in a flurry of rich cloths and swift strides.

"You can both go now," June waved absently at them, but caught herself, looking at Katara. "You don't need to go to the clinic, do you?" June glanced back at her computer screen, "Transitioning back into school after your summer at Northern Tribe must be difficult but-"

"I'm fine," Katara cut her off hastily, "I just want to get back to class."

"By all means," June gestured to the door. Katara and Zuko rose at the same time and exited, Zuko leading and Katara following. Zuko waited patiently; he expected that Katara would want to confront him for what he'd said to her. He was surprised, therefore, when the tan girl walked rapidly past her, her hands swinging in fists by her sides and she strode away.

"Wait up!" Zuko called. Katara ignored him and he surprised himself by jogging to catch up to her. When he reached her (easily done, considering his height advantage), he moved in front of her, forcing her to halt.

"What do you want?" Katara nearly spat. Her eyes were still swimming with unshed tears, but they were angry; Zuko was momentarily stunned by the raw fury on her face, in her eyes, trembling in her voice.

"Forget it," Zuko sneered, turning away. A small, strong hand on his shoulder forced him to turn around.

"Don't turn your back on me!" She commanded. Zuko wanted to scoff, but something in her stance demanded his attention. "It's your fault I'm in trouble now!"

"My fault!" Zuko stammered, "You invaded my privacy and refused to thank me for helping you!" He pulled his hoodie over his head. "You're ungrateful and naive. Forgive me if I don't want to get to know you."

"Well you're a selfish bastard!" Katara snapped. "I reached out to you, I tried to get to know you, and now you're calling me ungrateful?"

"Fine," Zuko snarled, "Want to get to know each other?" He walked right up to her till he was nose to nose with his antagonizer. "Tell me, please for the love of _God, _let me know: was it pills, rope, or razor?"

"What?" Katara asked, bewildered. Zuko smirked and grabbed her wrists with surprising tenderness, but strength in his eyes.

"People don't go to Northern Tribe for no reason."

Katara balked and Zuko's eyes blazed as he gained the upperhand.

"Did you just have to end it? Was the pain too much?"

Katara shook her head, unable to process what he was saying. Zuko released her small wrists, covered by her navy cardigan and began to walk away but Katara's words cut through his ego like a knife.

"Then tell me something Zuko."

"What?" He growled, looking at Katara.

"I'll tell you why I went to Northern Tribe," she approached him surely, "When you tell me how you got that scar."

Zuko's yell bubbled up from his stomach and escaped in a scream of rage.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" He hissed, "Didn't your mother ever tell you to act more like a lady?"

Katara's hand came out from nowhere but it packed strength for its size as it collided with the right side of Zuko's face. He spluttered in surprise and tasted blood in the back of his mouth.

"Leave my mother out of this, leave Northern Tribe out of this," Katara breathed unevenly, "and leave me _alone_."

Zuko remained in the courtyard path. Even though the sun was beating down on his shoulders, he felt cold.

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If yo_u've reached the bottom of this page, then I love you and you're hecka cute! Please please pleeeease review! The feedback is both motivation and a sign if I should keep writing this :3_


	4. Chapter 3

_Hello! I'm back! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever, but I already have the next chapter written, so if I get more positive responses, I'll upload that soon! Hopefully you guys still like where this is going! _

Anyways, Enjoy!

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Katara was fuming for the rest of the day. Aang had not only noticed this during their AP Language class but was determined to change her rotten mood.

"Katara! Katara!" Aang called to her from across the Quad. The brunette was practically stomping across the courtyard. Aang beamed like a child on Christmas, which only highlighted his youth. His foster parents had homeschooled him and this advanced learning style had caused him to skip a grade. He was, however, naive to his youthful nature and rather sought his sights on the pretty tan girl who was walking towards him. "Hi Katara!" Aang trilled as Katara sat down next to him. "Your hair looks really pretty today!"

"Thanks, Aang," Katara smiled tiredly, thankful for the compliment even through her bad mood. "That's really sweet."

"Guess what!" Aang prompted her. Katara cocked her head.

"What?"

"I'm trying out for the winter musical!" He smiled. "I'm hoping to be the Beast!"

"You?" Sokka laughed. "You're way too nice to be a Beast."

"You should try out," Aang told Katara, ignoring Sokka's comment. Katara chuckled.

"I don't think I'm up for being in the spotlight just yet," Katara shrugged.

"I think I'm going to do backstage tech," Toph announced. Every head at the table turned to stare at the girl in shock.

"You're going to voluntarily _participate _in something?" Suki gawked. Toph shot her a glare and tore off a bite of her sandwich with more force than necessary.

"My parents want me to get involved in something," Toph shrugged, her cheeks flushed, "Besides, its the only afterschool activity where I can yell at people and play with power tools and get away with it!"

"Classic Toph," Aang chuckled. Toph smiled momentarily but caught herself and looked away. Katara and Suki made eye contact, eyebrows raised.

"Let's get coffee later today!" Suki suggested. "You have a free period, right?"

"Yeah!" Katara giggled, but her elated mood fell instantly. "Wait, I can't today. I have to do something."

"What?" Suki asked. Katara mentally chided herself; why couldn't she lie well like Toph?

"I have...detention," Katara murmured. Aang's jaw dropped and Toph grinned in glee but Katara cut them both off before anyone could say anything. "It's all Zuko Tanner's fault, though. He was badmouthing me and our family," she looked pointedly Sokka, "so I think I was justified."

"What an asshole," Sokka shuddered.

"He made fun of my goatee," Haru sighed bitterly.

"I'm going to punch him in Physics on Friday," Toph growled. Katara smiled at the support her closest friends gave her. It made the prospect of spending the next hour and a half with the boy in question slightly more bearable.

_Slightly more bearable, _Katara mused bitterly, _but only a little. _

"When are auditions, Aang?" Suki asked.

"Today and tomorrow. The cast list comes out the day after."

"Madame Kyoshi is smart to put the list out on Friday," Haru pointed out, "That way she doesn't have to deal with the drama of who's cast and who isn't."

"I wonder who Belle is going to be," Toph chuckled.

"I guess we'll find out Friday." Katara sighed.

Lunch ended and everyone in their gang went separate ways. Fourth block classes were notoriously dull, and even the most exciting classes felt hours too long. Katara waited at the table for a minute and watched her friends go. Sokka and Suki walked hand in hand, giggling together. Katara smiled fondly; as much as her brother could annoy her, she loved him to death, and seeing him happy with Suki was contagious. Katara made a mental note to do something nice for Sokka in the future, but at the current moment, she needed to get to the theatre.

The early autumn sun was beating down in her shoulders, but with her white peasant blouse and high waisted denim shorts, the warmth, like that of a heating blanket, was more comforting than overpowering. The auditorium was at the far back of the school, where there was separate parking. Katara went through the side entrance and emerged in the lobby. She hadn't spent much time in the theatre. Her mother had been a dancer and singer in her youth and college life, but Katara had abandoned any sort of performing at an early age due to severe stage fright. That being said, the moment Katara walked through the theatre doors, she was dumbfounded by the room before her.

"Wow," she gasped. The ceilings were tall and arched. The stone paneling looked rich and expensive beneath the ornate chandeliers and bright stage lights. The theatre chairs were lush, garnet velvet and the curtains too embodied luxury. Columns along the walls made katara feel as if the ceiling above was being supported on the columns alone, and the ceiling, painted a beautiful mural of a night sky.

"Do you like it?"

Katara jumped, startled. Madame Kyoshi smiled mysteriously at her from one of the nearest seats. Katara exhaled, mentally criticising her obliviousness.

"It's beautiful," Katara answered. Her voice reverberated around the spacious hall and she was surprised to find it thick with emotion. Thinking about her mother did that to her. She turned her eyes to the stage. While it was mostly empty, there was the foundation of what looked like a floor with stairs.

"Are you considering auditioning for our winter musical?" Madame Kyoshi asked. Katara shook her head urgently.

"Oh no," she laughed nervously, "Trust me, you wouldn't want to put me on that stage. I'd ruin the entire thing."

"Everyone has the ability to be on the stage," Madame Kyoshi smiled slightly. "Anyway, I'm going to have you staple together sheet music and scenes for our first round of auditions today. Mrs. June has told me that you will be serving detention today until four-thirty."

"That works for me," Katara shrugged. She followed Madame Kyoshi who led her to a seat in the fifth row. The seats had armrests that could be pulled up to transform into a small desk surface. Katara spent ten minutes stapling piles of sheet music. She was just getting into her groove when someone took the seat one over to her right.

"You're late," Katara noted bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said. Katara froze at the sincerity in his voice.

"What?" She asked.

"I'm sorry," Zuko repeated, not breaking eye contact. "Not just about being late, but about what I said." Zuko studied Katara's face with something she couldn't quite read in his eye.

"Why are you saying this?" Katara asked with scrutiny.

"You were pissed," he shrugged.

"So you're apologising because it's convenient," Katara clarified. Zuko blushed and Katara couldn't keep herself from giggling. Zuko smirked at her.

"I talked to your friend," he murmured awkwardly, "the blind girl-"

"Toph," Katara corrected.

"-Toph, right."

"What did she say to you?"

"She cussed me out first," Zuko nodded. Katara smiled fondly at the thought of her friend, "And then she told me that I'd been an asshole to you."

"You were an asshole," Katara pointed out. Zuko cringed but forced himself to stay quiet. She was right. It would be inconvenient to argue with her, especially when they had detention together.

Katara still didn't trust Zuko, but they worked in a strangely calm silence together. She would group the separate sheets of music or lines of a scene into separate piles and hand them to Zuko, who would staple them and toss them into separate piles. Soon, the two grew familiar with the scenes and the songs for the different parts.

"My sister's going to be here today," Zuko broke the silence.

"Azula?" Katara asked without looking up from her work.

"Don't sound so excited," Zuko snorted.

"She's not my favourite person, I'll be honest," Katara admitted. "Who's she trying out for?"

"The same every single girl in this whole school seems to be trying out for," Zuko sighed before brandishing his freshly stapled music packet, "Belle."

"I love Belle," Katara found herself saying, "I used to watch Beauty and the Beast all the time growing up. It was my mother's favourite fairytale."

"Mine too," Zuko sighed, "My mother's, not mine," he corrected himself. When he looked up to get another packet, Katara was staring at him with the bluest eyes and the most tender expression. Zuko realised that no one had looked at him like that in a very long time.

"Hi, Zuko!"

Ty Lee appeared in the row behind them. Zuko noticed that Katara immediately busied herself with more papers, her face red.

"Azula wanted me to get her the sheetmusic for Belle's parts," Ty Lee explained, "Not that she needs it, of course, but just to be safe."

"She'll have to wait till everyone else get theirs," Zuko replied in a monotone. Katara stifled her laughter, but when Zuko caught her eye and grinned, she had to mask it with a "cough".

"Okay," Ty Lee sighed, looking concerned, "She's going to be angry…"

"Tell her I refused," Zuko explained, "that way she can't blame you."

"Thanks, Zuko!" Ty Lee trilled, instantly back to her bubbly self before she bounced away. Katara watched her go before smiling.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"That was nice," Katara admitted unwillingly.

"It happens occasionally," Zuko muttered, moving his head so that his bangs covered his scar. "Azula's a bitch, but that doesn't mean she can treat everyone else like her personal slaves."

"Zuko," Katara stopped his rant. He looked up with a fiery expression that made Katara flinch.

"What?" He growled.

"You're ruining the sheet music," Katara murmured softly. A pang of guilt shot through Zuko's conscience; she was scared of him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, smoothing out the paper. Katara bit her lip and looked away as she continued to collect the papers. She moved her head so that her long curtain of wavy, chocolate brown hair fell like a divide between the two opposite teens.

"Alright, everyone who is auditioning, please sit in the top section of seats!" Madame Kyoshi announced. She had moved up to the stage and was now looking out over the crowded theatre of students. Katara looked over her shoulder and was shocked at the number of students who were moving to the back section of the theatre, away from where Katara and Zuko were working.

"Today we're going to get most of our auditions done, and tomorrow will be a callback day if a decision can't be reached. Otherwise, you can expect a cast list to be up tomorrow at lunch."

A low murmur rushed through the auditorium like a sharp breeze. People were clearly shocked at alacrity with which the cast list would be up. Katara sighed and turned back to finishing her work as quickly as possible. After leaving detention today, her association with this musical would cease to exist.

"Can I get the auditionees for any ensemble role or any technical role to come to the stage," Madame Kyoshi asked, "The winter musical is a no cut programme so everyone will be able to at least work on stage as extra cast members or as extra hands backstage. We will divide roles in tech theatre once we begin working."

"Psst, Sugar Queen!"

Katara jumped at the voice that hissed from the stage. Toph was standing on the edge of the stage, grinning somewhat madly.

"Sorry you got stuck with Sparky," she spat viciously.

"I'm sitting right here," Zuko growled. "Or are you _that _blind?"

Katara gasped in outrage, and Toph gritted her teeth.

"You're gonna pay for that," she threatened in a dangerously measured voice, filled with pure loathing. She looked as if she had more to say, most likely things that would get her landed in detention for the next week, but at that moment Madame Kyoshi called her away once more. Katara whipped her head around and glared at Zuko, who was still stapling papers without a care in the world.

"What the hell was that?" She growled.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, taken aback.

"Forget being peaceful or whatever," she whispered, "You really are the meanest, cruelest, and most selfish person I've ever met."

"Because of what I said to Toph?" Zuko asked in shock, "I was just defending myself! She attacked me!"

"You're insane," Katara thought aloud.

"Well send me to Northern Tribe and call me crazy," Zuko snickered. Katara laughed in disbelief.

"Wow, way to actually listen to what I said about leaving Northern Tribe out of this," she sighed in a sad tone. Zuko's jaw dropped slightly.

"I-I forgot," he stuttered, "I didn't mean-"

"Save it, Zuko," Katara shot with fire in her eyes. Zuko felt as if he'd been struck; Katara said his name as if it was a curse word.

Auditions went far from smoothly. Only thirty minutes in and there had been three meltdowns on stage, twenty-three voice cracks, and one interpretive dance. Zuko kept his eyes glued to the stacks of papers he and Katara were now sorting into separate stacks for the future rehearsals, but looked up when Katara gasped.

Madame Kyoshi unsurprisingly had a surplus of people auditioning for Belle and The Beast, and instead of having them audition separately, was randomly picking a girl and a boy to sing a duet of Tale As Old As Time. That wasn't what Katara was gasping at though.

"Oh shit," Zuko groaned. As fate would have it, Aang, auditioning for Beast, was paired with none other than-

"Azula Tanner," Azula spoke confidently into the microphone. Madame Kyoshi nodded from her seat dead centre in the lower auditorium. Azula smiled at her, like a beauty queen or pageant star. Katara's heart went out to the boy behind Azula. Aang, while having grown since the prior year, still seemed amazingly small compared to the larger than life energy Azula was forcing upon the audience. However, when Madame Kyoshi raised her eyebrows at him, Aang hurried towards the microphone and murmured his name. Madame Kyoshi nodded towards Mrs. Wu, the music and art teacher who was playing accompaniment for the auditions. The moment the familiar set of notes played through the air, Katara felt sadness mingle with nostalgic joy within her. She loved the song, Tale As Old As Time, but the melody only caused her to think more and more about her mother. She forced herself to pretend to work, but she and Zuko couldn't help watch the performance.

Azula walked up to the microphone and an expression that resembled wistfulness washed across her usually hard face. Then she opened her mouth and sang the girls' part of the now-duet.

"Tale as old as time

True as it can be

Barely even friends

Then somebody bends

Unexpectedly"

Katara cringed inwardly. Azula followed the melody, but her voice was harsh and grating against her eardrums. Thankfully, Aang moved forward and, after somewhat forcing Azula out of the way, began to sing:

"Just a little change

Small, to say the least

Both a little scared

Neither one prepared

Beauty and the Beast."

Katara beamed up at her best friend. Aang had a sweet voice that reminded her of flowers. Zuko, however, noticed the way that the bald boy smiled in glowing adoration at the brunette to his left.

The music faded out and the audience clapped in applause; Katara joined in enthusiastically, offering a supportive "whoop," followed by a call of "go Aang!" Zuko grunted in jealously before mentally reprimanding himself. _Why do I care that she's cheering for that stupid kid? _Zuko asked himself angrily.

Then next hour and a half passed slowly and tensely. Katara was very obvious in wanting to ignore Zuko, and the constant singing and repetitive music was giving both teens a headache. Finally, auditions were over, and Madame Kyoshi approved of their world.

"And you're sure neither of you want to audition?" Madame Kyoshi asked in finality.

"Yes," Zuko and Katara both answered simultaneously with identical confidence. They both made fierce eye contact for a brief second before looking away from each other pointedly. Madame Kyoshi watched the interaction with mild curiosity but easily forgot it and collected the materials the two teens had prepared.

"In that case, I hope you come see the musical in December."

Katara and Zuko watched Madame Kyoshi leave. The moment the door shut behind her, Katara stood and left. Zuko could only watch and ponder why exactly, after a life of disobey and disorder, he'd never come close to he felt guilty and yet the blue-eyed brunette, so much his opposite, left him with his stomach in knots.

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_Well, that's the end of that Chapter! P.S. Reviews make me feel like writing posting more. _

_Peace and Love, _

_Tyra _


	5. Chapter 4

**Here comes the next chapter. It's kinda long, but fluffier than a cloud 3 R&R! **

**(P.S. ****_Italics means Katara is singing,_**_**Bold means Zuko is singing,**__and underline means they're singing together._ I know that's kind of typical, but it's the easiest way to write out the song.)

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"I'm going to kill Zuko Tanner," Katara announced the next morning. She and Sokka had arrived to the school unusually early. Aang, usually the advocate for peace, couldn't help but smile to himself at Katara's unusually violent statement.

"Why's that, Katara?" He asked, innocently popping a piece of gum into his mouth.

"Don't get her started," Sokka warned as he too arrived at the table. Katara had already given Sokka a glimpse of her frustration in the car that morning. Suki rolled her eyes at her boyfriend and took a spot next to him, across from Katara and Aang. Toph, however, laughed.

"No, no, let her vent, I love watching Sugarqueen get all riled up at someone like Sparky."

"Sparky?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, Sparky!" Toph shrugged, "Obviously, because of how angry he is. He's sparky."

"Uh-huh," Suki nodded slowly, still obviously perplexed

"What's wrong with Zuko?" Aang addressed the still-fuming Katara. She glared down at her AP Statistics homework and took out her anger by violently circling the answers to that night's homework. Slowly, she murmured in a measured by furious voice.

"He is the most disrespectful-" _circle_ "-arrogant-" _circle _"-self-centred and egotistical-" _circle _"-jackass!"

And with a final, shrilly shriek, Katara slammed the pencil so hard against her paper that it snapped in two. Her friends watched in shock.

"This nuthouse did you good," Toph smirked. Sokka glared at her but Katara waved him off.

"She's right, Sokka," Katara admitted, "You just should have heard half of the stuff that came out of his mouth in the past two days! He was rude to Professor Iroh, he made sexist comments, he called Teo a _cripple, _he made fun of me, and he made fun of Toph's blindness-"

"Geeze," Sokka exhaled. "What a jerk."

"Just wait," Toph growled, "The second I'm alone with him, Sparky won't know what hit him-"

"What do you want to do in Unassigned?" Suki asked Katara, trying to take over Katara's usual role as mediator. The two girls had their unassigned class fourth block, the very last class of that day.

"I don't know, maybe grab some coffee?" Katara shrugged, her anger quickly giving way to her typical kind nature.

"That sounds good!" Suki grinned. Sokka squeezed his girlfriend's hand under the quad table, thankful that she could take care of his baby sister.

The rest of the morning passed too quickly for Katara's liking. She had failed to realise how much she missed her friends. Unbeknownst to her, however, the very boy she couldn't help ranting about throughout her morning was looking on from the far side of the quad, hidden behind a book with his head bowed.

"Zuko," Mai called to Zuko as he continued reading. At least, he tried to continue reading until the sulking girl in question ripped the copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales out of his hands.

"What the fuck, Mai!" Zuko gasped, but when he reached for the old book, Mai dangled it just out of reach. "Give that back, it's an...antique," Zuko explained lamely. In truth the book was his mother's, but there was no way he would let Mai know that. Mai scoffed and tossed the book at Zuko, crinkling the pages but thankfully not damaging the spine. Zuko growled but closed the book and put it into his bag, out of harm from the goth in front of him. Even in the bright California sun, Mai looked dark and miserable, dressed in a black tanktop and black maxi skirt.

"Stop being such a recluse," Mai snapped, "and join the fucking conversation."

"What conversation?" Zuko snapped back, "So far it's just been the three of you complaining about when the cast list will come out!"

"But it's so exciting, Zuko!" Ty Lee exclaimed, her eyes bright and cheery. She so contrasted Mai, in her bubblegum pink sundress. "Azula's going to get the lead! It'll be awesome!"

"That's one way to describe it," Zuko mumbled just quietly enough for no one to hear. A chorus of laughter from the table under the large oak tree in the quad. Zuko couldn't help looking up and watching Katara, who through her head back and laughed.

It was the most beautiful sound Zuko had heard in a while. More beautiful that all of his music and all of his favourite songs. Her hair danced in the California wind, and her eyes sparkled with joy and delight like gems in the sun.

"What are you smiling at?" Mai scowled. Azula whipped her head to glare at Zuko, as if his mere happiness offended her. Zuko fixed his face back to its usual mask, but it was too late. Mai had followed his gaze to across the quad.

"What the fuck. Her?" Mai gasped. Azula made the connection a second later, but her anger had not yet fired up like Mai's. "That little slut? She's a peasant!"

"I'll handle this Mai," Azula shot Zuko a withering look. "It's time Zuko learned who to associate with. After all," she glared at her brother, "Father's reputation is on the line."

"Azula," Zuko started threateningly, but he couldn't stop her as she rose and started striding towards the gang.

"Uh-oh," Aang's smile slid off his face like rain. The gang all followed his gaze.

"Uh, why is she glaring at us?" Katara balked.

"Not us, Sweetness," Toph murmured warily, "You."

"Don't worry, Kat," Haru assured her, "We won't let her hurt you."

"Well we'll try," Sokka whimpered. Suki promptly whacked him in the arm. However, that didn't stop the red-stiletto clad girl from beelining towards them.

"Good morning Katara," Azula said in a sugary voice, "how are you this morning?"

"Fine," Katara responded nervously.

"It seems that you are under the delusion that you are entitled to engage with my brother," Azula continued in the agonizingly sweet tone.

"Well, your brother got me landed in detention," Katara pointed out defensively, "So what's your point?"

"Someone needs to teach you your place," Azula hissed, slamming one hand down on the picnic table next to Katara so that she glared down at her dauntingly. Katara immediately started to shrink back. "My family has more money than you will ever even come close to fathoming. We are _royalty_ and you? You are nothing more than a poor, worthless piece of trash."

Katara felt tears bloom in her eyes, but Azula continued viciously.

"When people look at you, they see the scum of the earth, an abandoned, unwanted piece of shit who's only good for whoring around and making everyone feel better about themselves. And you think you can even breathe the same air as me? Your face makes me sick. You're a fat, idiotic waste of space." Azula leaned back and looked Katara dead in the eyes before saying: "Your mother deserves to be dead just for spawning you."

Sokka growled and lurched at Azula but Haru and Toph held him back. Zuko was standing behind Azula and his jaw dropped at her words. She grinned at the silently weeping Katara.

"Stay away from my family, peasant."

Azula strode away; behind her Ty Lee looked on with sorrow in her eyes, but Mai smirked in support. The trio left and a second later the bell rang.

The noise seemed to shock Katara out of her frozen stance and she immediately ran away from the table.

"Katara!" Aang yelled, but Sokka put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her go," he commanded sadly, "She needs time."

"Azula!" Zuko yelled in a shockingly powerful voice, but the retreating figure ignored him. He groaned and throw his hands to his face in a rush of emotions he couldn't quite place. Suddenly he realised that the gang was staring at him.

"I'm so sorry," was all he could say. Sokka studied him and realised that he was being completely genuine.

"Thank you," Sokka said, catching everyone off guard. Zuko turned and immediately started searching for the brunette girl.

Katara raced across the quad, heading nowhere and everywhere, completely blinded by tears and overwhelming grief.

"Oh!" She grunted when she slammed into someone. Professor Iroh leapt back in shock and smiled at Katara but froze when he saw the tears streaming down her face. However, before he could say anything, Katara tore off again, racing towards the theatre entrance. Iroh watched her go in absolute shock.

"Uncle!" Zuko called. Iroh was further shocked not only because he openly called him Uncle but also because he hadn't seen Zuko so passionate and energetic in years. Instantly, Iroh realized that Zuko was searching for the distraught Katara.

"Don't worry about my class," Professor Iroh assured his nephew, "Go to her."

Zuko nodded and hurried past Iroh who couldn't help but smile at the possibility of a change in the air.

Zuko stopped running just before he collided with the door. Quietly, he slipped it open. _What are you doing, Zuko. She's just some girl, _Zuko mentally berated himself, but even as the thought arrived it was swept away by his intense concern. At first he wasn't sure Katara was even in the auditorium; he'd only had a notion that she'd come in the building's general direction. Zuko walked silently towards the chairs, and just when he was about to leave, he heard a small sobbing.

Katara sat on the edge of the stage, dead centre. At first she seemed like a statue, which explained how he missed her, but as he quietly approached, he saw that her shoulders were shaking violently.

"Katara?" Zuko's voice, coming from upstage behind her, shattered the silence. Katara jumped but didn't turn around. He didn't know what to say so he simply sat down next to her, both their legs hanging over the edge. Katara refused to look at him, but Zuko could see tears steadily pouring down her cheeks, although she was fighting to not cry.

"I'm sorry," was all Zuko could think to say, and evidently it was all Katara needed to hear, for a moment later she threw herself into the tall boy's arms.

Zuko gasped when Katara collapsed against his chest and the sobs ripped almost violently from her chest, but after the initial shock he wrapped her in his arms. She was shocked at how small and fragile she felt; he'd gotten accustomed to the strong front Katara had put on. He instinctively stroked her hair and was shocked when the calming shushing noise was coming from _him_ of all people. However, he still managed to cradle her in his arms without too much awkwardness. Her small hands gripped the fabric of his t-shirt and her face pressed against his strong chest, her tears hot against his skin. Katara cried like she hadn't cried since her mother's passing. She cried for the days of therapy, for the pain that went deeper than any scar, for her brother and her Gram-Gram, and for her father all the way out in Afghanistan. But mostly, Katara cried for herself: something she had never really done.

Zuko had no sense of how long they sat on that stage before Katara's sobs diminished into hiccups and small whimpers. Although his legs were propped awkwardly on the stage and his back was aching from the strange posture, Zuko felt content in his ability to protect the girl in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Katara murmured suddenly. He jumped and felt his face flush scarlet.

"S'okay," he replied in a husky voice. Katara blushed as well when she maneuvered herself off of Zuko's lap. She pushed up her sleeves and pulled her hair back from her face.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked awkwardly.

"I'm fine," Katara stopped him, but not harshly. Zuko understood her unwillingness to be vulnerable in front of him. She rested her arms back in her lap and Zuko caught a flash of raised and irritated reddish-pink skin on her inner forearm.

"What's on your arm?" He asked suddenly. Katara pulled her sleeve down in a flash. "Sorry," he instantly apologized. "I didn't mean- I just wanted to-"

"Zuko," The boy in questioned froze at the way his name rolled off her tongue, "It's fine."

"Okay," Zuko stood, unsure of if she wanted him to stay, but she made no motion to stop his departure. "Well, um, I'll see you later, okay?"

Katara didn't respond. Zuko sighed, embarrassed that he had gotten involved, and started to leave, but something stopped him just before he left the stage.

"_Tale as old as time…" _

The soft melody came from centre stage.

"_True as it can be."_

Zuko instinctively started back towards her, like a sailor to a siren.

"_Barely even friends then somebody bends unexpectedly." _

Zuko was shocked at the sound that emerged from Katara. It was pure and clear as a mountain stream, haunting and hypnotizing.

"_Just a little change_

_Small, to say the least_

_Both a little scared_

_Neither one prepared_

_Beauty and the Beast." _

Katara stopped singing due to a relapse of tears. Zuko wanted her to keep going, and what he did next shocked not only himself but Katara.

"_**Ever just the same**_

_**Ever a surprise..."**_

Katara gasped at the sudden voice but could only watch in utter awe as Zuko of all people walked awkwardly back towards her, his voice thick and rich.

"_**Ever as before**_

_**Ever just as sure**_

_**As the sun will rise."**_

Katara's small smile encouraged Zuko to continue.

"_**Tale as old as time"**_

Katara smiled again and sang the next line, much to Zuko's surprise:

"_Tune as old as song"_

Zuko quickly caught on to their back and forth, blushing not only when Katara stood and approached him, but also because he found himself walking towards centre stage to meet her. He was so flustered he almost forgot to sing:

"_**Bittersweet and strange-"**_

"_-Finding you can change-"_

Then together:

"_Learning you were wrong"_

Katara looked away as she took in the meaning of her words. Here she'd thought that Zuko was heartless, just like his sister, but she was realising just how wrong she was. Zuko searched her with his amber eyes and began to sing again.

"_**Certain as the sun..."**_

Katara looped over Zuko with a small smile:

"_-Certain as the sun-"_

But they both sang together, seamlessly harmonizing with one another effortlessly.

"_...Rising in the east._

_Tale as old as time_

_Song as old as rhyme_

_Beauty and the beast."_

Katara cautiously took Zuko's hands in her's, shocked by how warm and strong they were compared to her cold, delicate one's, and sang softly:

"_Tale as old as time,"_

Zuko blinked rapidly at the sudden contact, but his voice was tender, vulnerable:

"_**Song as old as rhyme,"**_

They both froze, staring deeply into each other's eyes, the silence around them so empty and intense, uninterrupted for a long second until they both inhaled simultaneously and sand in perfect harmony:

"_Beauty and the Beast."_

The silence following seemed anything but quiet as their voices echoed and reverberated around the spacious theatre like sweet-sounding ghosts. The sudden clapping ripped Katara and Zuko out of their hypnotic states.

Madame Kyoshi stood up by the tech booth at the top of the auditorium. Katara pulled her hands away and brushed her hair out of her eyes in embarrassment. Zuko felt himself turn scarlet.

"Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" She asked, her commanding voice holding just the subtlest hint of a smirk.

"I can't," Katara and Zuko insisted at the same time. Madame Kyoshi smirked to herself.

"You two should get back to class," Madame Kyoshi said in a funny voice, "I have some last minute changes to make before the cast list goes up."

Katara and Zuko watched her go back to her office and the two wordlessly left the theatre.

"I'm sorry about my sister," he mumbled awkwardly, "She's evil."

"It's fine," Katara insisted, but her voice was still tight, "I overreacted...and I've made you late for class," she added as an afterthought at the sight of the deserted quad.

"Don't worry," Zuko assured her conversationally as he ambled calmly next to her, "I ran into my uncle and he told me to come back whenever we felt up to it."

Katara's eyes widened to the size of saucers: "Professor Iroh is you _uncle_?" She exclaimed. Zuko blushed and looked away.

"I try to keep in on the down low," he grumbled. Katara smiled softly and the two fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence as they meandered slowly across the quad, neither particularly keen on rushing to class.

"You have a beautiful voice, you know," Katara told Zuko with a grin. She delighted as he flushed and ruffled his shaggy, dark hair awkwardly.

"R-really?" He stuttered.

"Yeah," Katara smirked, "It suits the whole mysterious, misunderstood rebel thing you've got going on."

"What?" Zuko spluttered, but Katara giggled instead of responding. He sighed (_almosthappily? _he wondered) at the smile he's brought Katara. Snarkily he responded: "Well, you only locked yourself down as a Disney Princess in my mind."

Zuko groaned to himself the second the words left his mouth. _Zuko, you idiot! What a stupid thing to say! _But to his surprise, Katara giggled and blushed.

"Oh shut up and let's get to class."

When Zuko and Katara entered Creative Writing, the class was too busy spending the last bit of the period talking and goofing around (under Professor Iroh's okay, of course) to notice their late arrival. Teo was flirting with a girl in their class, Jin. Zuko avoided her eye; Jin had a very strong crush on him all through middle and high school, and although the affection had likely died out (a notion only further confirmed by Jin's giggling advances toward Teo), Zuko was still wary of drawing unwanted attention.

"Sorry about earlier, Professor Iroh," Katara apologised awkwardly. Iroh smiled, "Never apologise for your emotions. There is a saying: 'Emotions are the fuel of human nature; embrace them and they nourish the soul, ignore them and tempt starvation.'"

Katara nodded, trying to process the proverb. Zuko stared down at his feet as he followed her to their table, but hesitated and murmured a quick "Thanks, Uncle," in Iroh's direction. Iroh smiled, feeling a strange sense of hope for the first time in quite a while.

Katara began rifling through her pack and pulled out a thick book. Zuko glanced over at it and asked cautiously: "What is that?"

Katara looked at him in confusion before the question clicked. "Oh, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte!"

"You really like reading," Zuko thought out loud. Now it was Katara's turn to blush.

"It's my favourite thing to do," she replied wistfully, thinking as an afterthought _It was my only thing to do at Northern Tribe. _"Do you read?"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded, "But not classic stuff really. I wish I could get into it, but I can never quite grasp what's going on."

"Here," Katara smiled and closed the book, handing it to Zuko, "I've read it three times already; you can borrow it and ask me questions if you get confused."

"Th-thanks, Katara," Zuko stuttered, taking the gift gently in his rough looking hands. He was shocked at the thought that, in a way, he had a friend.

Sokka, too, was shocked; and, mostly, he was pissed.

"_Katara,_" he hissed the moment he entered their AP Statistics Class, "What the _hell _do you think you're doing hanging out with a guy like Zuko?"

Suki and Toph both looked at Katara in shock.

"You and Sparky?" Toph gasped, looking delighted, "I thought you hated each other."

Katara blushed furiously but ignored Toph's question, instead addressing her brother.

"Look Sokka, it's not your business who I do or do not talk to!" She snapped.

"Yes it is," Sokka responded, looking dumbfounded, "You're my baby sister!"

"I'm almost seventeen, you know."

"That's irrelevant," Sokka grumbled. The group was interrupted when class started, but Suki and Toph both exchanged wary glances with each other at the tension between the two siblings. The class ended, and the four friends were exhausted from the difficult class. Thankfully, their tiredness also made Katara and Sokka forget about their dispute, and the four friends walked to the quad for lunch.

"What's going on?" Suki wonder aloud as they walked through the quad. A huge group of people were packed around the back of the quad, all squabbling to look at something. Toph shrugged and watched as a girl walked away from the crowd, sobbing. Aang and Haru met them in the middle of the courtyard, looking as confused as their friends.

"We don't know either, Twinkletoes," Toph answered Aangs unspoken question. Katara looked around and made eye contact with Zuko, who had isolated himself at a far away table. He was reading Jane Eyre and he smiled slightly when she grinned and waved. Aang frowned momentarily at this encounter, particularly bothered after the confrontation between Azula and Katara that morning.

The crowd split straight down the middle when the three girls started walking in sync straight towards the gang. Zuko's eyes narrowed and he quickly pocketed Katara's book and walked over to the group.

The gang looked at him in various levels of shock, but before he could open his mouth to, Mai stormed straight up to Katara and slapped her across the face.

The noise of skin on skin was so loud that most people in the vicinity turned to look. The gang gasped in shock. Katara was frozen with her hand cupping her wounded cheek. A dribble of blood rolled down her chin. She touched the scarlet liquid and looked at it on her fingertips. As suddenly as the slap had occurred, a primal, almost vicious scream rose up from Katara's throat, and she threw herself at Mai.

"No!" Zuko yelled.

"Katara!" Aang and Sokka yelled simultaneously. Sokka jumped into the fight, a rare furious determination glinting in his narrowed eyes, but instead of attacking Mai (though he wanted nothing more at that moment), he half-dragged, half-carried his sister out of the tussle.

"Sokka!" She hissed, "Let me _go!_" She ripped out of his grasp, but Sokka put two firm hands on his shoulders.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Katara yelled at the fuming Mai.

"I told you to stay away from Zuko," she growled.

"Sounds like someone's a little desperate," Toph snapped back, quick to come to her best friend's defence.

"Come on, Mai," Ty Lee whimpered from behind her, "Let's get out of here."

Mai lurched once more towards katara, who flinched, before walking away with Ty Lee leading her. Azula remained, her eyes narrowed to slits.

"Congrats, peasant," she spat in Katara's direction, "Enjoy the limelight. It won't last long."

Azula stalked away but hesitated, turning to glare at Zuko. "And you can believe Father will hear about this."

The gang plus Zuko watched in dumbfounded shock as Azula stalked away angrily.

"What the fuck was _that _about?" Toph spat, the first to break the silence.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked in a low voice, approaching Katara quickly. She nodded, and although angry tears shone in her eyes, Zuko suspected they were just from the shock of the slap, for when she responded her voice was tempered and even.

"Yeah, I just have no idea what happened…" Katara whimpered.

"I do," Suki murmured in a voice that brought all eyes to her. However, she wasn't looking at any of her friends, but rather at her phone. Aang and Toph both crowded around her and gasped at the image on the screen.

"What is it?" Katara asked. Sokka grasped the phone from his girlfriend and his jaw dropped. He then stared, flabbergasted, his eyes switching between Zuko and Katara.

"What?" Zuko asked, immediately defensive.

"Give it, Sokka," Katara snapped in a panicky voice before ripping the phone out of her brother's hands. She felt the warmth of Zuko's body behind her as they both stared at the picture of a piece of paper pinned to a wall.

"_Ba Sing Sei High Winter Musical Cast List…_" Katara read aloud, trying to descern the words with the sun reflecting off the phone screen.

"_Belle…" _Zuko squinted at the phone before reading in a shaky voice, "Katara Taki. The Beast...Zuko Tanner."

"Oh my God…" Katara gasped.

"I don't believe this," Zuko murmured.

"Well believe it," Toph said confidently, "Because as your stage manager," Toph jerked her head towards the picture of the cast list, "I'm in charge of telling you that you have to be ready for our first rehearsal."

"And when is that rehearsal exactly?" Katara croaked hoarsely. Toph smirked.

"Next Monday."

Katara and Zuko gasped, but not a moment later, they were separated when the bell rang for next period and Katara was dragged away by an angry Sokka. Zuko watched her go, a combination of fear and dread mingling with something that could only be identified when he was with that Brown haired, blue-eyed beauty.

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Love you all, darlings! Pretty please review =^.^=


	6. Chapter 5

Hello wonderful readers! I know, I'm terrible for not having posted for so long, but a lot has changed in my life. I am now a college student! Now that things are getting normal here at Uni, I'll be able to update more regularly. Anyways, here's Chapter 5 =^.^=

Zuko waited after school ended before heading home. The twelve missed calls from his father and forty-three texts told Zuko that Azula had spilled the beans about the cast list. He felt like a coward, sitting on the hood of his car, hunched over in the warm sun, but Ozai would need to calm down before coming face to face with his son.

"Hi, Zuko."

Zuko jumped when Aang appeared silently next to him. The bald boy was smiling openly, but hints of anxiety shone in his large, grey eyes.

"What do you want?" Zuko murmured.

"I was on my way home an I figured I'd say hi to my new cast-mate!" Aang shrugged. Zuko raised an eyebrow at him, and Aang explained: "I got the role of Cogsworth!"

"Oh," Zuko grumbled, unsure of what else to say.

"You must be excited to work with Katara," Aang said conversationally. Zuko's inner light bulb flickered on; the boy was worried about his girlfriend.

"I'm not trying to steal your girl, if that's what you're worried about," Zuko sighed, sliding off of the hood and pulling his dark red more securely around his skull. Aang blushed.

"Wh-what!?" He cried, feigning shock, "I don't...I mean, I can't-"

"Calm down," Zuko snapped, opening his car door, "Even if I remotely liked the Taki girl, I wouldn't pull anything. It would be dishonorable and disgraceful."

"Oh," Aang responded in shock. He grinned at Zuko in relief, "Thanks, Zuko! That makes me feel a lot better."

"Whatever," Zuko growled, "Could you move now? I want to leave and you're in my way."

"No problem," Aang nodded amicably before walking past Zuko's car and towards the main road, "See you at rehearsal!"

Zuko groaned at Aang's final remark. He'd been trying to wrap his head around the mess he'd gotten himself into since the cast list came out. As much as it pained him to think, Azula was right; being in this play would be disgraceful to his father and... to himself? Zuko felt a strange elated emotion when he saw his name of the cast list, but wanted to slap himself at the very thought. Groaning again, Zuko jammed his key into the car's ignition and the vehicle screeched to life, his favourite alternative radio station blasting out of the speakers. Zuko pulled his shades over his eyes and ripped out of the parking lot.

Ozai was a businessman whose success could be seen in the size of his house. While most of the people in San Fran lived in small apartments or townhouses, the Tanner estate was situated by the mountains. The twenty minute drive was filled with anxiety on Zuko's part. He flinched at the thought of facing his father in everyday life, but the image of Ozai _mad_? Well, Zuko knew first hand what he could be facing.

Zuko pulled up to the estate's gate, but as soon as he tapped the brakes, Charlie, their gateman, opened the gates and allowed Zuko to drive up the winding driveway. The house (or rather, mansion) was modern, with white walls and row upon row of tall, columned windows. The garage held room for Zuko's car, as well as his motorcycle (a sixteenth birthday present he'd bought himself, but rarely used due to his father's dislike of such "rugged transportation"), and his father's Ferrari and Mustang. Zuko closed the car door as quietly as possible; the longer his presence remained undetected in the house, the better.

"Zuko!" Azula's voice called the moment he entered the house. Zuko cursed under his breath and shouted.

"What?"

A moment of silence passed, but Zuko could only hear the blood pounding angrily in his ears.

"Nothing," Azula responded in a sickly sweet voice. Zuko cursed again. He stormed upstairs, taking the back staircase that was used only by the maids. He slammed his bedroom door shut, taking care to make as much noise as possible now that Azula had given him away. He immediately cranked up his stereo and threw himself onto his bed as Fitz and the Tantrums blasted in his ears.

"_You were out of my league_

_All the things I believe_

_You were just the right kind_

_Yeah, you are more than just a dream_

_You were out of my league_

_Got my heartbeat racing_

_If I die don't wake me_

_'Cause you are more than just a dream."_

Zuko wondered how Katara was feeling at that moment. He wondered a lot of things about Katara, actually. He wondered how she could sound so beautiful when she sang, how she had refrained from murdering his sister, and how she was dominating his thoughts when he should have been worried about getting beaten by his own father.

The door slammed open as if on cue, but Ozai did not stand in the doorway. Azula smirked sadistically.

"Zuzu," she sneered, "Father wishes to speak with you in his study."

"Get out of my room," he snarled. Azula only smiled before walking away haughtily. Zuko stood and breathed deeply, practicing what little meditation techniques he remembered from when his mother taught him, and finally walked towards the staircase at the end of the hall.

The third floor of the estate was reserved for Ozai and Ozai alone unless otherwise explicitly stated. The black hardwood floors shone dimly under the fiery lightning of the chandeliers above. A single maroon rug ran across the narrow hall to the black doorway at the far end of the hall: Ozai's office.

Zuko raised his steady fist (he was determined, even out of the sight of his father, to keep any sign of fear hidden) and knocked three times against the dark wood.

"Enter," Ozai's cold voice growled from within the office. Zuko gripped the cold doorknob and twisted. Ozai's office was lit by red chandeliers so that a scarlet glow bathed the black floor and furniture. Ozai sat in his large desk, his hands folded and his golden eyes (so like Zuko's) steely under arching black eyebrows.

"Zuko," he began, "Take a seat."

_I'd rather stand, _Zuko thought as he lowered himself in the chair.

"Azula talked to me today-"

"I already know what she's said," Zuko said before he could stop himself. Ozai's eyes flared with anger, but he said nothing else.

"That Taki girl is a peasant," Ozai spat, "and her family is little more than dirt. I forbid you from associating with her or the scum around her family."

"Katara is nice," Zuko found himself defending fiercely, "And besides, I still have to see her in rehearsal."

"That reminds me," Ozai continued coldly, "You will go back to your room immediately and email the school with your resignation from this foolish musical."

"What!?" Zuko spluttered incredulously. "But Azula's in it!"

"And Azula has also learned not to trifle with our inferiors," Ozai snapped, standing suddenly to tower over his son. "My reputation is on the line and you owe me that respect!"

Zuko stood to glare at his father face to face, "I owe you _nothing_. I'm going to be in this musical."

Ozai's eyes widened dangerously and his pulled his hand back threateningly. Zuko flinched, bracing himself for the pain that was to come, but he felt nothing. Ozai's eyes twiched before his hand fell.

"Get out," he snarled, "I banish you from this house. You are no son of mine."

"Father," Zuko stammered, but at that very moment, the blow came, hard against his good eye. Zuko fell to the ground from the power behind the backhand and when he opened his eyes, he had to blink blood out of his vision to see his father.

"You have ten minutes to leave of your own accord before I call the police to have you removed."

Ozai then walked over Zuko's splain body and disappeared into his bedroom at the other end of the hallway.

Zuko rose silently and made his way to his room. It was a miracle he found his old duffel bag, let alone still owned it from the move after his mother's death. Tears slipped silently down his face as he blindly threw clothes into the bag. He put his cherished guitar into its case and wrapped his mother's photograph into an old hoodie. Blood fell from his eye onto the white carpet as Zuko strided out of the room ferociously.

When Zuko went to grab his keys by the front door, he was surprised initially by the empty hood, but more so by the figure standing in its place.

"Sorry, Zuzu," Azula sighed, "But you're not taking the car."

"Give me the keys, Azula," Zuko growled, but the girl pulled the item in question out of her brother's reach.

"Sorry, the car's for family only," Azula sneered. Zuko exhaled seethingly. "Fine," he pulled the door open with surprising force, "I don't need you."

Zuko grabbed the pair of keys from the other hook. Azula watched from the doorway as he pulled the duffel bag across his body and mounted his unridden motorcycle. With a final glare at Azula, he pulled the shade of his helmet over his eyes and revved the ignition.

It had been several years since Zuko had been to Iroh's house, but his instinct and vague muscle memory carried him far into the town and towards the ocean. The narrow houses in this part of San Fran were clearly the cheaper. Although quaint, Zuko mused, to some, he could only notice the crumbling stone steps and peeling paint. Zuko wasn't quite sure that the house he stopped in front of, light yellow stucco and neat garden in front, was Iroh's, but when he saw the sign on the door ("Steep In And Brew A While"), he made the educated guess that his Uncle would be inside.

Iroh was no stranger to knocks on his door. Often the neighborhood children would get their balls stuck over his back fence and come to retrieve it (although Iroh mused that they probably came for the cookies he would offer, but he didn't mind); or one of the older woman came to discuss gardening tips and baking over a nice cup of tea. Therefore, nothing could have prepared Iroh for the sight at his doorstep.

"Zuko!" Iroh gasped. Zuko stood in wrinkled clothes with blood splattered on his face and upper chest and his "good" eye almost completely swollen shut with a gaping cut just under his eyebrow. Iroh's expression turned cold, "Was this my brother's doing?"

Zuko nodded wordlessly and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

"Katara, can you help me with these scones for the Jasmine Dragon?" Kanna called from the small kitchen as she kneaded dough. "I promised I'd bring an extra batch; who would believe that my sea-salt and cranberry scones would be so popular with the West Coast!"

"They're delicious, Gran-Gran," Katara reasoned fondly from the dining room table, "Of course people want them!"

Kanna approached her granddaughter while wiping flour from her hands onto a dishrag. Katara was bent over a notebook with a bulky textbook in front of her. Pieces of hair had fallen from her ponytail and as Kanna took a seat, Katara dropped her pencil to shake a cramp from her hand.

"It's friday," Kanna pointed out.

"Yes?" Katara agreed with a shrug.

"You should not be doing homework, you should be out with friends!" Kanna motioned to the outside world. Katara rolled her eyes but smiled at her grandmother.

"I'm swamped with homework, Gran-Gran," She explained, "Besides, everyone's too tired from school to do anything."

Kanna smiled a tad sadly but went back to the kitchen, and Katara grimaced. She hated lying, especially to her family. In reality, Toph, Aang, and Haru were going to see a movie and had asked her to tag along, but Katara knew that any outing would be filled with questions of the musical and of her co-star.

_I hope he's okay… _

Katara flinched at the intrusive thought. Worries about Zuko had plagued her since that morning and she was trying her best to avoid them. She groaned and slammed her textbook closed.

"Here, I'll start the next batch, you go relax," Katara offered. Kanna laughed.

"Oh, you are so like your father," She sighed, "I'll start the washing, you go ahead and get baking. Why don't you take off that sweater, you must be boiling!"

"I'm actually cold," Katara lied awkwardly. She self-consciously tugged at her sweater sleeves and felt the long, raised ridge along her wrist. "Can you pass me those cranberries?"

Katara liked baking because it kept her mind off of things. When she stirred in her berries, she imagined dancers spinning and swirling together; when she poured in butter, she imagined gold ink with which she could write; when she punched her fist into the dough...well, that time she imagined Azula's face.

But hey, it made her feel better.

"Where's your brother?" Kanna asked.

"I think he went out with Suki," Katara replied.

"Darn, I was going to have him take these next door to Iroh," Kanna sighed, looking at the large tupperware of the six dozen scones. Katara perked up.

"I can take them!"

"I don't want to make you if you have homework though," Kanna replied with a wave of her hand.

"I was going to take a break anyway," Katara admitted, stacking the tupperware up in her arms and walking to the back door. Kanna laughed as the brunette managed to open the porch door with her foot and walk out into the back garden, overgrown with wildflowers and a messy, although fruitful, veggie and fruit garden. Katara balanced gracefully along the cobblestone path and entered Iroh's much neater back garden. She was no stranger to the Jasmine Dragon, Iroh's tea shop next door to his small house, and often brought Kanna's food to his house.

"Ah, Miss Katara," Iroh smiled happily at the sight of Katara at his door, "Please come in!"

"My Gran-Gran made another three batches of scones," Katara explained the large containers in her arms.

"Ah, Kanna knows I love her scones," Iroh nodded appreciatively as he led Katara to the kitchen. "I can take those," he moved to grab the boxes, but Katara bypassed him and rested them on the counter.

"Not a problem," Katara smiled.

"Why don't you sit and have a cup of tea," Iroh suggested. Katara bit her lip, not keen on dwelling on her school life; then again, Iroh always had good advice.

"Congratulations on your part in the musical," Iroh said as he poured steaming water into two mugs. "Madame Kyoshi said that both you and my Nephew have wonderful voices."

"If she says so," Katara mumbled dubiously, taking one of the mugs from Iroh and bobbing the strainer up and down. The leaves' jade colour infused into the water, blooming magnificently. Iroh watched the brunette with concern.

"Are you not glad to be in the show?" He asked. Katara sighed again and tugged at her sweater sleeves.

"It's not that I'm not glad," she began uncertainly, "I just don't like talking in front of people, let alone singing and dancing."

"I'm sure my Nephew feels the same," Iroh nodded understandingly. Katara looked curiously at Iroh, her mouth opened slightly as if on the verge of speaking, but she seemed to change her mind. "What?" Iroh encouraged.

"What happened to Zuko?" Katara blurted out. Iroh looked shocked for a moment, and Katara immediately qualified her statement: "I read his I Am poem in your class, and he always seem so tortured and sad. It's not my place to know but...I'm worried about him."

Iroh sighed and took a sip of his tea before clearing his throat: "My Nephew - Zuko- has had a tough childhood. His father, my brother, is not a kind person. When Zuko was eleven, his Father took him to a business meeting (to show him the company he could possibly inherit one day). My brother is the CEO of a large investment company, but when Zuko learned of the unfair working conditions the company's employees and said something about it at the meeting, his father was furious. He took Zuko to his office and…" Iroh swallowed roughly, and Katara was terrified to hear the thickness in his voice when he continued: "...he pressed a red-hot fire poker against the side of his face."

Katara gasped, her hands jumping to her mouth. Iroh closed his eyes solemnly.

"My Nephew was once the most gentle and kind person I'd ever had the fortune of meeting. But the things that have happened to him, terrible, terrible things, have made Zuko cold, hard, angry."

"Azula's no help," Katara murmured, completely at a loss for words.

"I agree with you," Iroh chuckled sadly. He could see the mistiness of Katara's eyes even in the dim kitchen lighting. "You're the first person to ever treat him as a friend."

Katara smiled at her hands and swiped the tears from her eyes.

"For some reason I felt like we had something in common," she admitted in a choked voice. "He knew about Northern Tribe."

"I'm assuming he's the only one besides your close friends," Iroh guessed. Katara nodded.

"I'm hoping it'll stay that way."

"Katara?"

Zuko leaned weakly against the kitchen wall. Katara leapt up and rushed to Zuko, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him in a tight hug. Zuko gasped in surprise but a moment later instinctively hugged her back. Iroh smiled knowingly at him, making Zuko scowl and turn a lovely shade of scarlet.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked, pulling away from him. Katara's eyes widened for two reasons: Firstly, because of the bandage on his good eyes, and secondly, because he was shirtless. Katara felt herself blushing and he forced herself to look away from his toned chest, strong arms, and defined abs. "What happened to your eye? Why are you here?"

"Erm," Zuko started awkwardly. Iroh nodded at him, "She knows, Zuko."

Zuko sighed bitterly, "My father."

Katara cursed under her breath. Zuko was clearly unsteady on his feet and moved to collapse in one of the kitchen chairs.

"Can I see?" Katara asked cautiously, walking over to him. Zuko nodded, surprising both himself and Iroh, who was busying himself with the kettle to make a cup of tea for Zuko. Gingerly, he pulled back the makeshift bandage (a paper towel taped over his eyes). His eyes was swollen and parts of the white was scarlett, signaling a broken blood vessel. Furthermore, Katara could see the split skin on the top of his eyelid was still bleeding and had not been cleaned properly.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Katara asked Iroh. He thought for a moment and then walked out the back door.

"Where is he going?" Zuko grunted tiredly.

"I don't know, maybe to the shop?" Katara guessed in a tender voice.

"He has a shop?"

Katara looked down at Zuko in shock. She couldn't understand how Zuko knew so little about his own uncle. She sighed and threw the bloody bandages in a trashcan before getting a fresh paper towel and wetting it in the sink. Zuko was sitting at the table, slouched over and staring deadly at the far wall. Katara pulled a chair next to him and sat on its edge.

"This might sting," Katara warned in a soft voice. Zuko jumped, as if he'd been dozing.

"You don't have to do this," Zuko insisted, blushing. Katara smiled and brushed a loose piece of hair out of her eyes, only to have it fall back down.

"Don't worry about it, I'm used to the blood and guts of it all," Katara giggled, making Zuko blush even more. She hesitantly cupped Zuko's left cheek to angle his ruined right eye towards her. Katara felt the muscles in his face tighten under her fingers, but to her surprise, the moment she touched the wet towel to his eyes, the tension completely disappeared.

"Why are you used to it?" Zuko asked in a quiet but curious voice.

"Hmm?" Katara asked as she finished his eyes. Zuko cringed that the dark, oozing blood that seeped out of the paper towel as she tossed it in the bin and washed her hand.

"You said you're used to the blood," Zuko repeated. Katara sat down next to him, carrying with her a fresh cup of tea for him.

"My mother was a nurse," Katara said in a tight voice, "and she taught me healing when I was young. I didn't learn much past when I was nine, but still…"

Zuko watched Katara with a surprising tenderness, his eyes taking in her entire appearance. If eyes were the windows to the soul, Katara's were magnifying glasses. An intense sadness was gleaming in her gaze. Zuko felt the urge to touch her and to hold her, tell her it was all okay.

"Katara…"

"Found it!" Iroh exclaimed as he entered suddenly. Zuko jumped away from Katara; Katara only then realised how close they'd been in proximity. Iroh observed the two teenagers, smiled secretly.

"Miss Katara," Iroh smiled as he handed Katara the first aid kit. "Thank you for your help. It is very much appreciated."

"It's the least I could do," Katara smiled, her cheeks painted rosy with blush. "In the end, I kinda feel like I owe Zuko. He...helped me out this morning."

Zuko looked up at Katara as she tilted his face closer to her, "It was my pleasure."

Katara turned somehow redder.

"Shut up and let me clean your cut," Katara muttered. Zuko refused to wince as the anesthetic spray came in contact with the open wound. Katara, in turn, flinched, "Sorry bout the spray, I know firsthand how much it hurts…"

Zuko couldn't help but wonder what she meant. Instead he watched Katara work, her long delicate fingers nimbly cleaning and wiping and wrapping until the wound was sparkling clean and a heavy-duty bandage covered the cut.

"Well, it looks like the swelling's going down!" Katara noted optimistically. Zuko snorted as she sat back down at the table and Iroh joined them.

"It better be back to normal by Monday; I don't want to give people more reasons to stare…"

Katara looked down at her hands, unsure of what to do. Zuko looked at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"You can laugh, it was a joke, Katara," he smirked. Katara giggled.

"Well, I should get back to help Gran-Gran finish cooking," Katara sighed as she stood up. "She was hoping you'd be interested in serving her famous Apricot Tarts in the Jasmine Dragon."

"Would it be possible for me to come over and accept the offer myself?" Iroh asked cheerfully. Zuko looked at Iroh in surprise.

"Uncle, are you going to be back after dinner then?"

Katara and Iroh glanced at each other with amused confusion. "Zuko," Katara laughed, "I live next door."

"Oh," Zuko replied in a calm tone, but in actuality he felt strangely happy.

"Do you want to come over?" Katara asked in a soft and, in Zuko's opinion (which he would never admit), adorable voice. Zuko looked away awkwardly, but Iroh widened his eyes meaningfully at his nephew.

"Sure."

Zuko pulled on a thin tank top and walked out of the house. Katara and Iroh were in Katara's backyard, talking about her garden.

"I can never get the fruit to grow as well as you can," Katara sighed.

"But your flowers are beautiful!" Iroh exalted, "You must have given them inspiration."

Katara laughed joyfully. Zuko followed unnoticed a few paces behind and awkwardly entered the kitchen a few seconds after Iroh and Katara had gone through the door.

"Kanna, these tarts are magnificent!" Iroh's voice carried through the house. An woman's voice returned.

"Well, of course they are! They're an old Taki family recipe, isn't that right, Katara?"

"It's true, we have them every Christmas."

The house was small but surprisingly bright. He'd entered a kitchen which spelled wonderfully of cinnamon and lavender. A small sitting room was adjacent to the kitchen, where two small but comfy looking couches faced an old TV. Zuko walked slowly, suddenly calmer than he'd been earlier. Past the kitchen was a dining table, where the three people in question were sitting.

"Zuko!" Katara smiled at the teen in her kitchen. Kanna looked over and smiled warmly.

"You must be Iroh's nephew," Kanna hugged Zuko. He stiffened, unsure of what to do. Katara giggled, but Kanna didn't notice. "I'm Katara's grandmother."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Taki," Zuko nodded politely. The woman in question laughed melodically, much like Katara did.

"Mrs. Taki is my mother, call me Kanna. Please, take a seat!"

Zuko walked to the far end of the table and instinctively sat next to Katara. She grinned shyly at him.

"You must be thrilled for Katara's starring role," Iroh began. Katara's eyes widened.

"Starring role?" Kanna asked in confusion.

"Yes, in the winter musical. The cast list came out today, if I'm not mistaken. Isn't that right, Zuko?"

"Yes," Zuko said softly. He could sense Katara's discomfort.

"Katara," Kanna placed her hand on her hip, "I think you forgot to mention one little detail of your day. Is this why you've been sulking all afternoon? This is amazing news!"

"It is quite exciting, isn't it?" Iroh exclaimed. "Katara is Belle, and Zuko is the Beast."

"Oh, Katara, Beauty and the Beast was your favourite growing up!" Kanna cooed. Katara rolled her eyes subtly. "Of course, you could have told me," Kanna snapped with a small smirk.

"I-I didn't mention it?" Katara's voice broke weakly. Zuko snorted with laughter and Katara looked at him accusingly.

"If it wasn't for _you _I wouldn't be in this mess!" Katara snapped. Zuko's smile dropped.

"I should get going," he grumbled. Katara gaped as Zuko started towards the back door. Kanna and Iroh looked at each other knowingly.

"Wait, Zuko!" Katara called, hurrying after him. Zuko nearly ran out of the house. Suddenly the smell of cinnamon was nauseating. He stopped in the Taki's driveway, unsure of where to go.

The last thing he expected was to feel the small, cold hand on his shoulder.

"What?" He hissed, turning around sharply. Katara flinched but stood her ground.

"Look, I don't know what I said to upset you," Katara stammered, "but I'm sorry."

"I don't need your pity," Zuko snarled, trying desperately to look anywhere but her huge, blue eyes.

"Good, because you don't have it."

Katara's hand dropped from his shoulder, and just when Zuko realised he missed the contact, she slipped her hands into his.

"I didn't realise you were so opposed to being in our play," Zuko sighed, his words barely audible.

"I'm not opposed," Katara started, but Zuko stared doubtfully at her. "Really, it's just...I'm not a theatre type of person."

"Hey," Zuko shrugged with a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile, "Me neither."

"Katara, your friends are here!" Kanna stuck her head outside the back door and called to her granddaughter. Katara's eyes furrowed in confusion. Zuko scratched the back of his neck, unsure to where to go.

"C'mon, co-star," Katara chuckled. Zuko grinned crookedly and followed her inside. Toph, Aang, and Haru were standing right in the front doorway, holding bags of groceries and a stack of papers.

"Hey, guys," Katara greeted her friends with a confused smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Sweetness, Sparky, as your stage manager, I have decided that you are not going to sulking by yourselves tonight when there is work to be done," Toph announced confidently.

"What are you-" Zuko started, but a second later, Toph lugged the large stack of papers into his arms. He glanced down at the top page.

"Scripts," he thought aloud.

"We have four boxes of pop tarts, five bags of barbecue potato chips, Oreos, and a shit ton of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese. And one night for you to memorise the first act."

"This was her idea," Haru sighed.

"Clearly," Aang sighed, but he was smiling widely at Katara.

"To Katara's room!" Toph exclaimed. Katara glanced at Zuko and smiled softly.

"Let's get going," she laughed.

"The theatre waits for no one," Zuko murmured with a grin. Katara giggled joyfully, linked her arm with Zuko's and pulled him up the stairs; Iroh had to wipe a single tear from his eye.

I hope you guys liked it! Please review and give feedback. It helps me know if I should continue posting chapters or not 3


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